In the blink of an eye, Ahmed's home and his shop were bombed into rubble. Now he is struggling to provide for his family. Oxfam and partners have been distributing emergency food vouchers to 50,000 families like Ahmad's.

Looking for something a little different this festive season? Oxfam Unwrapped is a chance for you to share with your family, friends or loved ones the gift of making a real difference to someone's life. Give a gift that truly gives twice!

Nearly 4 million people remain in urgent need in South Sudan following the conflict that broke out in December 2013. Over 1.9 million people have fled their homes and are displaced within the country and over 467,000 have fled to neighboring countries. We have reached more than 360,000 people with life saving essentials, but we urgently need to reach more.

Almost four years after the beginning of the conflict in Syria the war shows no sign of abating. Massive numbers of people have fled conflict areas and are now living in inadequate shelter within Syria or in neighboring countries.

About this paper

After two years Haitians continue to grapple with the effects of the devastating earthquake that killed more than two hundred thousand people and rendered more than one million of them homeless. The future of Haiti hangs in the balance, with the road to reconstruction proving to be a slow and arduous one. While billions of dollars of aid have been pledged, only half of the funds have been disbursed.

This briefing note reports on the status of the reconstruction effort and the continued challenges in shelter, education and health facing the island nation. Haiti has been plagued by institutional weaknesses, political instability, and economic insecurity for decades, which the earthquake only served to exacerbate with devastating consequences.

Key recommendations

Create a national development authority to replace the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission.

Focus on decentralization of authority in the reconstruction planning to mitigate the extreme urban/rural inequalities.

Devise a comprehensive resettlement policy, with a clear timeline and budget, including new public housing, return to safe existing structures, and a transparent mechanism to swiftly resolve land tenure issues;

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